BRIMMING with a level of enthusiasm and wide-eyed ambition that few albums have came anywhere close to mirroring this year, the arrival of The Big Moon’s debut album Love In The 4th Dimension was a seismic event in the modern rock ‘n’ roll sphere.

Conducted by the vibrant yet at times forlorn vocal stylings of Juliette Jackson and inundated with starkly honest tales of personal growth and self-induced setbacks, the record has been a constant presence in the lives of their devoted fanbase ever since its release and more than deserves every plaudit attributed to it.

In spite of all of its charm and undeterred merit, it remained a pleasant and heartening surprise to see that their first foray into the world of the full length had been allotted a place among the shortlist for the prestigious Mercury Prize.

An accolade that has an irrefutable effect on an artist’s exposure to the masses, recent years have suggested that the focus had moved away from the realms of guitar music and a number of fantastic and groundbreaking records had been omitted in a manner that seemed at the very least dismissive and arguably duplicitous at worst.

Unquestionably facing stiff competition from a number of acclaimed records from Sampha, Kate Tempest, Alt-J and Loyle Carner to name but a few, what separates Love In The 4th Dimension from these other nominees is an immediacy and dispensation with any underlying agenda that may just help them to shine through.

A rollicking collection of indie pop and wistful rock ‘n’ roll that is loaded with painstaking sincerity, what is evident upon listening to the record is that this is a band who truly revel in what they create. Crafted at Eastcote Studios in London,  this locale has significance in the sense that it is a body of work that stands shoulder to shoulder with all of the pervading gems that have emerged from the area.

Whether it’s contemporary fare such as Wolf Alice and Slaves to those that reasserted indie music in its various forms such as The Libertines and Klaxons, the four piece’s potent debut is an act of defiance against the stigmatisation of music that is devoid of underlying agenda. Loaded with hooks aplenty whilst harbouring a discontented sense of riot grrrl inspired energy, tracks such as ‘Cupid’, ‘Sucker’, Formidable’ and ‘Pull The Other One’ have all the potential to be anthems that are clung to by future generations in the same manner as their predecessors.

As stated when we initially reviewed the album; “With every blown raspberry, dropped tambourine, wolf-like howl and lyrical wink, Love In The 4th Dimension captures a band having the time of their lives; and it’s that simple fact that makes it such an enjoyable listen. Littered with quirky touches, the band embrace their imperfections in the name of fun; and the album is all better for it.”

Set to play our very own Tenement Trail on the 30th September, we can but hope that the show will serve as part of the band’s victory lap after they prove to a general of budding guitar-based musicians that the quality of your work can shine through amid any pre-conceived notions of ‘artfulness.’ If you’ve yet to listen to their cathartic, raucous and at times heartwarming debut, it’s safe to say that you’re missing out on unadulterated gem.

Listen to the album below now :